2009 Toyota Prius Exterior Lighting

BEGINNING IN JULY 2013, THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS STARTED FLICKERING WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND THEN BOTH LIGHTS WENT OFF. THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIMES IT IS ONE LIGHT AND SOMETIMES IT IS BOTH LIGHTS. WHEN IT IS ONE LIGHT, IT IS NEVER THE SAME LIGHT THAT GOES OUT. *TR

THE HEADLIGHT(S) GO OFF WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING AND IT BECOMES HAZARDOUS AND FRIGHTENING. *TR

I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT APPEARED TO BE OUT, SO I CHECKED IT AND IT WAS. WHEN I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON THE HEADLIGHT CAME ON FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND WENT OFF. I HAD THE HEADLAMPS CHANGED WITH OEM PART AND THE LIGHTS WORKED FOR A DAY AND NOW IT IS OUT AGAIN, WHICH MIGHT BE BALLAST OR SOMETHING ELSE. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE FOR THE 2006-2009 MODELS HAVE PREMATURE HEADLIGHT FAILURE AND GREAT EXPENSE TO FIX. IT IS DANGEROUS WHEN I HAVE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT AND I LIKE TO LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON DURING THE DAY FOR SAFETY. *TR

WE ARE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE LEFT HEADLIGHT GOING OUT AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING. WE'VE TAKEN IT INTO THE SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ISSUE FIXED. WE TOOK THIS TO THE SHOP THE LATEST TIME AND THEY TOLD US IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. *TR

SAME BASIC COMPLAINT AS IN OTHER SIMILAR 'SAFETY COMPLAINTS'; FOR ABOUT THE LAST YEAR, HEADLIGHTS GO DIM, FLICKER, ONE OR THE OTHER WILL GO OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON, AND MORE DISTRESSING AND IMPORTANTLY, IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, THEY WILL BOTH JUST TURN OFF COMPLETELY AND AT THE SAME TIME WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT ANY SPEED. I HAVE TO TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON TO 'RESET' THE LIGHTS AND GET THEM BACK ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE OFFICIAL TOYOTA REPAIR SHOP; THEY WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. BLAMED THE BULBS, WHICH IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE OWNERS MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS, AND WANTED TO CHARGE ME $ 550 TO REPLACE ONLY THE TWO BULBS. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ITEM AS IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE ALL LIGHTS SUDDENLY GO OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THEN HAVING TO FUMBLE AROUND IN THE PITCH BLACK TO TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON AGAIN TO 'RESET' THIS FAILURE. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH, WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT. IT WAS DARK AND RAINING, AND WERE UNABLE TO SEE THE ROAD EDGE. WE PUSHED THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND WERE ABLE TO SEE HOW CLOSE TO THE ROAD EDGE WE WERE. ABOUT TWO MINUTES LATER, THE LIGHTS BOTH CAME BACK ON AND WE CONTINUED TO DRIVE TO SEEK A SAFER AREA. EVERY 15 MINUTES THE LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER. *TR

DRIVING AND MY LEFT HEADLIGHT SPONTANEOUSLY TURNED OFF. IF IS NOT BURNED OUT, AS IT WAS WORKING WHEN I LEFT, AND STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE CAR TURNED IT BACK ON. VERY DANGEROUS AS THE ROAD WAS DARK, NOT TO MENTION I DON'T WANT A TRAFFIC TICKET. PLEASE STOP IGNORING THIS PROBLEM. *TT

FOR SOME MONTHS NOW I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT IN MY PRIUS WHICH IS AN HID LAMP. THE LIGHTS GOES OUT AND THEN WHEN I TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF THEN BACK ON AGAIN THE LAMP LIGHTS AGAIN. I HAVE TO DO THIS NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE DRIVING. IT EITHER EVENTUALLY STAY'S LIT OR I JUST GIVE UP AND ANTICIPATE A TICKET. ON OCCASION WHEN I TRY TO GET THE LIGHT TO COME BACK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE LIGHT GOES OUT, AND THEN I AM WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS UNTIL I REPEAT THE PROCESS. IT IS NOT ONLY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING IN THE DARK, BUT WHEN YOU TRY TO GET THE LAMP TO TURN BACK ON, PEOPLE THINK YOUR FLASHING THEM FROM BEHIND WHICH CAUSES THEM TO BECOME AGGRESSIVE. IT IS VERY STRESSFUL AND I KNEW IF I LOOKED THIS UP ONLINE I'D PROBABLY FIND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. I WAS NOT SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT THERE WERE COMPLAINT IDENTICAL TO MINE, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED AGAINST TOYOTA TO FIX THE APPARENT DESIGN PROBLEM. I AM A 28 YEAR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER AND ALSO A SENIOR SAFETY SPECIALIST FOR MY COMPANY. WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR A SERIOUS INCIDENT TO OCCUR BEFORE TOYOTA IS FORCED TO FIX THE ISSUE. I WILL NOT REPLACE THIS EXPENSIVE BULB SINCE IT APPEARS THAT IT ONLY REMEDIATES THE PROBLEM FOR A SHORT PERIOD THE OF TIME BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I AM ENTRUSTING IN YOUR ORGANIZATION TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE ISSUE TO ENSURE THE WELL BEING OF ME, MY FAMILY AND THOSE AROUND US WHO EITHER DRIVE THESE MODELS AND/OR BECOME ADDITIONAL VICTIMS FROM OUR VEHICLES DUE TO HAVING TO "COMPLETELY" SHUT DOWN THE HEADLIGHTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THEM BACK UP. AGAIN THIS SOMETIMES CREATES BOTH HEADLIGHTS TO GO OUT UNTIL REPEATED. CAN THAT REALLY BE A BULB ISSUE? I THINK NOT. PLEASE FORCE THIS LARGE COMPANY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE ISSUE BEFORE STATISTICS CLIMB ON ACCIDENTS AND OR INJURIES RESULTING FROM THESE HEADLIGHT FAILURES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ANTICIPATED ACTIONS. *TR

THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT COMES ON INITIALLY BUT DURING THE DRIVE WILL GO OFF. I CAN TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON AND THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND I DON'T KNOW IT HAS HAPPENED UNLESS I PULL UP BEHIND SOMEONE AND SEE THE REFLECTION OF MY HEADLIGHTS ON THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

I NOTICED SOME CONDENSATION IN BOTH FRONT HEADLAMPS SOME TIME AGO BUT JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A COSMETIC PROBLEM. ABOUT THREE DAYS AGO BOTH MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE WATER INSIDE THE HEADLAMPS CAUSED MY HID LIGHTS TO SHORT OUT. I AM OUT OF THE 36 MONTH 36,000 MILE WARRANTY, BUT STILL WITHIN MY EXTENDED WARRANTY'S LIMITS. TOYOTA IS NOT GOING TO COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE LIGHT BULBS OR CHANGE OUT THE HEADLIGHTS SINCE I'M PAST THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY COVERAGE LIMIT. I WAS QUOTED BY MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP OVER $1,500 TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO FOUND A MEMO FROM TOYOTA (MEMO # T-SB-0188-11) THAT TALKS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND STATES THAT UNDER THE OEM WARRANTY, IT SHOULD BE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER. *TR

LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. THEN BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT A MINUTE LATER. TURNED LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON AND THEY WERE OK FOR A MINUTE. THEN THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN. THIS KEEPS ON RECURRING . *TR

BOTH LOW BEAMS HAVE GONE OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING, BUT REPLACING BULBS AND FUSES DOESN'T FIX THE ISSUE. *TR

I NARROWLY MISSED HITTING A PEDESTRIAN IN A CROSSING WALK AT 5AM IN THE MORNING. THE REASON-BOTH OF MY HEADLIGHTS HAD TURNED THEMSELVES OFF. I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE RIGHT ONE GOING OFF AND AM ABLE TO TURN IT BACK ON BY TURNING THE LIGHT S OFF, THEN BACK ON. BUT NOW THEY BOTH ARE TURNING OFF AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND IT IS HARD TO TELL UNTIL SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS.(IT'S HARD TO TELL AS THIS CAR HAS 2 FOGLIGHTS THAT I NORMALLY KEEP ON, AND THEY GIVE THE ILLUSION THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON). THE PROBLEM IS NOT IN THE HEADLIGHT ITSELF. I KNOW AS I HAD THE PROBLEM PRIOR TO A FRONT END COLLISION ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO IN WHICH THEY REPLACED BOTH HEADLIGHTS.THE PROBLEM HAS TO BE IN WHATEVER COMPUTER CONTROLS THE HEADLIGHTS. THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT AND SHOULD BE MANUFACTURER RECALL ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WATER PENETRATED THE HEADLIGHT'S PLASTIC COVERING DUE TO IMPROPER SEALING AND CAUSED THE LIGHT BULB TO FAIL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE LIGHT BULB HOUSING BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE PASSENGER LIGHT BULB FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

HEADLIGHTS GO OFF BY THEMSELVES. WHEN I START THE CAR BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO ON, BUT AFTER DRIVING A LITTLE WHILE THE LEFT OR RIGHT, OR SOMETIMES BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL SHUT OFF. *TR

HEADLIGHT AND TAIL LIGHTS FAILED TO WORK AT START UP, AFTER A WHILE THE HIGHBEAMS DID WORK SO CAR COULD BE DRIVING HOME. LATER THAT EVENING EVERYTHING WORKED FINE AT STARTUP. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE PASSENGER HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY (EVERY BULB, NOT JUST THE MAIN HIGH-INTENSITY BULB) WENT OUT. WIGGLING THE CONNECTOR AT THE BACK OF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY WHEN THE HEADLAMP GETS IN THIS CONDITION DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I CAN GET THE ASSEMBLY BACK IN WORKING CONDITION BY TURNING OFF THE LIGHTS AND TURNING THEM BACK ON AGAIN. THIS IS DANGEROUS! WHEN THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN, IT WAS SLIGHTLY FLICKERING AT FIRST AND NOW SEEMS DIMMER THAN THE DRIVER SIDE LIGHT. I HAVE ALSO HAD CONNECTOR-RELATED ISSUES ON THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS, WHERE THEY GO OUT AT RANDOM TIMES. TURNING THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF DOES NOT WORK TO GET THE BRAKE LIGHT WORKING AGAIN. I HAVE TO MANUALLY TIGHTEN THE CONNECTOR AT THE BACK OF THE BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY TO GET THE LIGHT WORKING AGAIN. *TR

HEADLAMP FAILURE ON 2006 HID TOYOTA PRIUS. *TR

ON OUR 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS THE DRIVERS HEADLIGHT WILL GO OUT SHORTLY AFTER TURNING IT ON I HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM RECURRING CURRENTLY TRYING TO GET TOYOTA TO RESOLVE PROBLEM AT NO COST TO ME. *TR

I HAVE NOTICED FOR SOME TIME NOW ALLOT OF TOYOTA PRIUS CARS DRIVING IN DARK CONDITIONS WITH NO HEADLIGHTS ON. THE TAIL LIGHTS ARE ON BUT NO HEADLIGHTS. THIS WOULD SUGGEST TO ME THAT THERE IS A MANUAL HEADLIGHT SWITCH OR ELSE DIFFERENT PARAMETERS FOR THE HEAD AND TAIL LIGHTS. AS FOR THE REASON, I BELIEVE TO CONSERVE POWER ON THE ELECTRIC BATTERIES. IF THE DRIVER IS IN CONTROL OF THE HEADLIGHTS THIS CONTROL SHOULD BE TAKEN AWAY. IT IS RARE IN THIS DAY AND AGE FOR A MANUAL HEADLAMP SWITCH EVEN ON THE MOST BASIC CARS, SO I BELIEVE TOYOTA WAS FULLY AWARE OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND WHAT THE DRIVERS WERE LIKELY TO DO. BUT YET TOYOTA MADE SURE THEY WERE LEGALLY COVERED WITH THE TAIL LIGHTS. AFTER ALL IF THE DRIVER HITS A CAR OR PEDESTRIAN ITS THE DRIVERS FAULT BUT IF TOYOTA PRIUS CARS SUDDENLY START GETTING REAR ENDED, ITS TOYOTA'S FAULT. IF THE HEADLAMP IS NOT IN CONTROL OF THE DRIVER WHY THE DIFFERENCE IN TIMING WHEN THEY COME ON? I WOULD SUGGEST AGAIN TO CONSERVE POWER AND MAKE THEIR CARS GO FARTHER ON ELECTRIC POWER AT THE EXPENSE OF PUBLIC SAFETY. I AM WRITING THIS PRIMARILY FROM A PEDESTRIAN POINT OF VIEW BECAUSE I AM A RUNNER AND HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF SEMI CLOSE CALLS BECAUSE OF THE HEADLIGHT ISSUE AND ONE CLOSER CALL BECAUSE THEY ARE SO QUIET. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS EITHER ONE HEAD LIGHT WILL GO OUT OR ON SOME OCCASIONS BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT. IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON THEY WILL COME BACK ON. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OFF INTERMITTENTLY. I NOTICED IT AROUND MAY 2009, AND REPORTED IT DURING MY MAY PRE-PAID TOYOTA SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE., WHICH WAS THE LAST ONE FOR MY PLAN. TOYOTA SAID THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM. THE INCIDENT IS NOTED ON MY TOYOTA PAPERWORK. *TR